People wait in long lines to scan their ballots after voting at the South Portland Community Center on Tuesday. On the ballot was a measure to approve a $12.3 million school bond, which failed. Gregory Rec / Portland Press Herald

South Portland voters rejected a $12.3 million bond, by 8,199 votes to 6,394 votes, to build a new athletic complex at the high school.

“We had nearly 6,400 voters express support for major stadium renovations, so it’s evident that community members recognize that substantial need,” Superintendent Tim Matheney wrote in an email to the Sentry on Wednesday. “We will be developing next steps for our deteriorating athletic complex with a team of community members in the next few weeks.”

However, voters overwhelmingly passed a $3 million bond for safety upgrades at the city’s elementary schools and a $1 million bond for repairs and infrastructure improvements across the district. The safety upgrade bond passed 10,583 to 4,000; and the infrastructure bond passed 11,163 to 2,369.

“We truly appreciate voters’ support for our $3 million security and $1 million facility improvement bond referendums,” Matheney said. “We will begin preparations for the approved work in the coming months.”

The high school currently has a grass field that coaches and school department staff say is inadequate – soccer balls bounce instead of roll, home games move to the opposition’s field when it rains, and other deficiencies. The complex also uses portable toilets, which would have been replaced by permanent restrooms, and a track with only seven lanes, which would have been replaced with an eight-lane track that meets state tournament standards had the measure passed.

Many residents agree that the high school’s current athletic facilities are in need of investment, but some residents have taken issue with the cost of the project after a property revaluation raised taxes for many, and oppose the use of artificial turf fields, which the plan called for.

The $3 million in safety and security upgrades will add security cameras and more secure entrances at the city’s elementary schools. School administrators have said staff are well trained in safety response and protocol, but that only goes so far and the physical upgrades are needed.

The $1 million in facility upgrades will repair the roofs of three elementary schools, which tend to leak during rainstorms. It will also mitigate persistent water damage at Kaler Elementary and address the deteriorating high school gym entrance.